Saxophone and Piano Recital by Karendra Devroop and Megan-Geoffrey Prins

On Sunday, June 2nd, at 3 PM we welcome to Shed & Silo Country Restaurant the celebrated South African musicians Karén Devroop (saxophone) and Megan-Geoffrey Prins (piano) presenting works by Astor Piazzolla, Pedro Iturralde, and John Williams in their recital, Saxophone Tangos.

Accomplished saxophonist Karén Devroop has collaborated with numerous local and international artists in jazz, classical and POP genres. Some of his recent album releases include “The South African Jazz Songbook”, “Ancestral Home”, “Dance of the Indentured”, “Relentless”, and “Overjoyed”, many receiving airplay and featuring on jazz charts internationally. Devroop continues to perform worldwide and has appeared on music festival stages in the USA, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Seychelles, amongst others.

Named the 2019 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, pianist Megan-Geoffrey Prins has achieved remarkable successes in music competitions and performances alike. He was awarded top prizes in the 2017 SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition, the 5th UNISA National Piano Competition as well as the inaugural Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival Competition, amongst others. Prins obtained degrees from the University of Stellenbosch and the Cleveland Institute of Music (USA), receiving the Arthur Loesser Memorial Prize, and the Judith Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity. He currently serves as piano lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

Argentine bandoneonist and composer Astor Piazzolla revolutionised the traditional tango into the neuvo tango (new tango), incorporating elements from both jazz and classical musical traditions. By 1959, he had established the formal structural pattern of fast-slow-fast-slow-coda for his compositions. Whilst the faster sections feature harsh tango rhythms and angular melodic figures, the slower sections are characterised by lyrical melodies featuring the bandoneon and strings as soloists. Devroop and Prins will be performing Piazzolla’s “Libertango”, “Ave Maria” and “Oblivion”, amongst others.

The musical style of jazz saxophonist and composer Pedro Iturralde is characterised by the flamenco music from his native Spain as well as the influence of jazz. Although these musical styles feature predominantly in the four movements of his “Suite Hellenique”, such as the jazz combo feel of the “Funky” and “Valse” movements, Iturralde also incorporates textures and harmonies from classical music.

When composing the film score for Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Catch Me if You Can, John Williams was inspired by the progressive jazz from the 1960’s, when the movie is set, thus composing the three-movement suite, “Escapades”. He considered the alto saxophone to the ideal vehicle for this expression, originally scoring it for concert band.

Join us at Shed & Silo Country Restaurant at Norton’s Home Estate, Benoni on Sunday, June 2nd, at 3 PM for an afternoon of exquisite beauty in the company of the world’s most beautiful tango music.

If you want to enjoy a delectable lunch at Shed and Silo Country Restaurant before the concert, we highly recommend making a reservation.